


lovin' is a blessing (never let it fade away)

by uptheladder



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Fluff, M/M, and his kid wants to follow in his footsteps, culinary student!bucky, happy belated father's day to the greatest dads, the other kid can talk to birds and sam is ecstatic, who give lots of forehead kisses
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-24
Updated: 2019-06-24
Packaged: 2020-05-19 05:33:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19350514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/uptheladder/pseuds/uptheladder
Summary: Sam slips in and out of sleep, sounds of loud giggles, hushed whispers, and the clanking of kitchen utensils stirring him awake. He specifically hears Bucky shushing the girls, the youngest one whispering back a little too loudly, “sorry we forgot,” and Sam can’t help but laugh himself fully awake, knowing they’re trying really hard to stay as quiet as possible. He’s sure his husband had cautioned their daughters to not wake daddy since he made it home from a mission just hours earlier. But Bucky should know Sam doesn’t care about the lack of sleep when he has his family to wake up to.





	lovin' is a blessing (never let it fade away)

**Author's Note:**

> this was inspired by the tweets of two lovely people (@bitchass_barnes and @captsamwilson). yes, this is very belated, but life comes at you fast some time. anyways, enjoy!

Sam slips in and out of sleep, sounds of loud giggles, hushed whispers, and the clanking of kitchen utensils stirring him awake. He specifically hears Bucky shushing the girls, the youngest one whispering back a little too loudly, “sorry we forgot,” and Sam can’t help but laugh himself fully awake, knowing they’re trying really hard to stay as quiet as possible. He’s sure his husband had cautioned their daughters to not wake daddy since he made it home from a mission just hours earlier. But Bucky should know Sam doesn’t care about the lack of sleep when he has his family to wake up to.

Sam’s yawn turns into a wince as he stretches, the tensed muscles of his abdomen and obliques reminding him of the swift kicks from Batroc. He wills his muscles to relax, takes a moment to sink into the softness of the sheets as he bathes in the warmth of morning, the mid-June sun peaking through sheer curtains and open blinds. He sighs at the cosiness, thinks about drifting off to sleep again, but the quiet commotion and the absence of Bucky’s arm around his waist keeps him awake. Groaning, his eyes flutter open, stinging a bit from the bright sunlight, and he makes a mental note to nag his husband about opening the blinds when he’s still sleeping.

He swings his legs over the side of the bed, grabs his phone from the nightstand beside him, and smiles at the smiling picture of him, Bucky, Ryanne and Riley that’s saved as his home screen. 8:04, the clock on the screen reads, and there’s a few texts from friends and family wishing him a happy Father’s Day. His mind briefly drifts to his father, the slightest sting of tears building behind his eyes that he blinks away as soon as it comes.

_Love you, Pop_. He glances up with a slight smile, hopes his thought reaches wherever his soul rests.

He opens the message from his sister, it’s a video of her, his niece and nephew singing happy Father’s Day in the tune of Stevie Wonder’s “Happy Birthday.” It’s a group message with him, Sarah, and Bucky who already responded with a thank you and tons of emojis. Sam sends his own thank you, adds “love and miss you dorks” and a few kiss emojis. Then, just before he locks his phone, his mother calls.

“Mornin’, momma,” he answers with an easy smile.

“Mornin’, baby.” Sam can hear the grin in her voice, can see the gap in her front two teeth as clear as day. “Happy Father’s Day.”

“Thank you. How are you?”

“I’m good, missing my baby and grandbabies. When are you gonna put that shield down long enough to come visit?”

He stifles a groan as he glances at the case his shield’s enclosed in, hanging from the closet door hook. “Soon, ma, I promise.”

“Mhm,” Darlene hums, holds out the first half of the _m_ , and he knows she has her lips pursed in disbelief. “I’ma hold you to it, Sammy.”

“I wouldn’t want it no other way.” There’s a bite of sarcasm in his voice and his mother chuckles.

“You’re gonna miss me when I’m gone.”

“Oh, hush, woman. You ain’t going nowhere.” Once their breathy chuckles die down, Sam adds, “but seriously, I’ll be sure to make time to see my favorite woman in the whole wide world.”

“Flattery will get you nowhere, Samuel. If I don’t see you in a two weeks, I’ll sic James on you.”

“Momma!” Sam gasps, a dramatic hand clutching his chest. “You’ll plot against your own son?”

“Yeah, if his nappy-headed behind doesn’t come see his mother.”

“Okay, okay,” he hurriedly agrees, knowing she’s serious and he’s slightly terrified of what it means for her to “sic” Bucky on him, because Sam also knows his husband doesn’t play about his mother-in-law. “I promise, we’ll be there bright and early Sunday after next. I expect to have my favorite for dinner, though.”

“You get what I give you, Samuel.”

He snickers. “Yes ma’am.”

“You keep getting cute with me, I’ll trade you in for James. You know I’ve always liked him more than you.”

Sam snorts this time, knowing the statement has some truth to it. At first, Darlene didn’t understand how one man was getting her son caught up in so much mess. As much as Sam tried to explain that Bucky was Steve’s best friend who really needed their help, she would not listen. _“You better make it home in one piece,”_ she had threatened during one of their brief calls on the burner phone he kept while on the run, _“or that ‘Bucky’ is gonna have to deal with me.”_ She sung a different tune once they officially met, months after the dusted returned. _“There’s a spirit about you, James,”_ she had said after dinner as they exchanged goodbyes at Darlene’s front door. _“I see it in those kind eyes of yours.“_ That’s the moment Bucky vowed to fiercely love and protect Darlene Wilson as long as he lived. Ever since then, they’ve gotten on Sam’s nerves; working together to bully Sam into taking care of himself, because he has a tendency to look after everyone else and ignore his own needs; exchanging (unnecessary) information on all things Sam (like the time Darlene told Bucky that Sam got crabs when he was 18); keeping secrets and having little things just for the two of them, like that knowing look they give each other sometimes. As annoying as it should be, and it _is_ at times, seeing them get along so well is actually endearing. (Even if it makes him a bit jealous, but he just reminds himself that his mother has enough love to go around the world twice, and knowing that Bucky gets to experience it warms his heart.)

“Yeah, I know.”

“Where is he, anyways?”

Sam’s looks to the closed door, listens for a second and hears a high-pitched “Ryanne, don’t,” followed by giggles. “In the kitchen with the girls,” he answers with a smile, “making a mess, I’m sure.”

Darlene lets out a soft laugh “Knowing Ryanne and Riley, they have that kitchen upside down.”

Sam joins in on her laughter, shaking his head. “Lord, don’t I know it.”

“Well, I’ma let you go so you can clean up after their messy behinds. Give them all my love.”

“I will, ma. Love you.”

“Love you too, baby,” she says back, voice sweet and motherly, and he feels like he’s home, nestled safely in her arms. “See you in a few weeks.”

“Ok—”

“And I don’t care if the world is falling apart,” she cuts him off, “you better send somebody else to fix it, because I expect to spend that whole day with my son.”

“I hear you, momma.”

“I’m serious, Samuel. You leave those wings and that shield at home.”

He sighs. “Yes ma’am.”

He can hear the satisfied smile as she says, “glad we’re on the same page. Love you, Sammy.”

“Love you, too.”

Darlene ends the call and Sam puts his phone back down, then looks at the shield, shaking his head. “Damn you,” he curses the shield, curses Steve for giving it to him, curses himself for getting so lost in it all. “Done got me in trouble with my momma,” he grumbles as he makes his way to the adjoined bathroom to relieve himself and brush his teeth.

He wonders what will happen if he leaves his wings and shield during their visit, can feel those anxious thoughts creeping into the back of his mind, and tries to keep them at bay. Nothing drastic will happen, nothing that the rest of Avengers can’t take care of, right? He can rid himself of his responsibilities as Captain America for one day, surely. He laughs as he thinks of what Fury will say when he tells him he can’t come out to play because his mom said so. However, it might be a viable excuse given that Darlene had given Fury a good cussing out when she found out Sam missed Father’s Day last year because of a mission, even called the man Nicholas.

Sam shakes his head of the memory and sighs. He tries to truly imagine what it would be like to willingly take a day off. After Steve handed over the shield, he handed over responsibilities he wasn’t sure he could live up to. There‘s a lot more expected of him as Captain America than it ever was as Falcon, especially because he’s Black, and especially after Thanos. 

There was so much to fix, to put back together, so many trying to continue Thanos’s mission, so many trying to outdo Thanos’s destruction, and so little time.

It seemed as he put out one fire, another would ignite, and as day drew closer to night, he grew more anxious, felt like all the fires had grown into one raging wildfire, closing in on him until he was alone, surrounded by licks of flames and thick, billowing smoke swallowing him whole. By the end of the night, he struggled to breathe, couldn’t sleep because his mind was consumed by all the people who still needed help, needed saving, and all the things that still needed to be done.

So Sam pushed himself, pushed through the panic attacks, the nightmares, the sleep deprivation, the physical and mental exhaustion, until his body couldn’t handle the stress. As he flew through the air, guns aiming at an alien aircraft, he had suddenly fainted, falling rapidly toward the ground. Rhodey flew after him, Bucky sprinted, hearts and lungs exploding in their chests as they tried to catch him, but it was too late.

Sam was in a coma for three days, woke up to Bucky sniffling, whispering _“please Sam, come back to me, I can’t lose you, too”_ into the back of his hand before bringing it to his lips.

_“You in love with me or something, Barnes?”_ Sam had asked, startling him, and the super solider surprised Sam in return by kissing the playful smirk right off his face, leaving him dazed and in love before Sam ever knew he was in love.

Bucky had pulled away, flesh thumb gently sweeping over the purple bruise at the height of his cheek. _“You better not do anything that stupid again, Wilson.”_ Sam knew Bucky’s voice was meant to be sharp, but it had come out soft as cotton candy, soft as Bucky’s lips replacing his thumb against the bruise. Sam had some smart-mouthed thing to shoot back, but it had gotten caught in his throat, choked up by Bucky’s gaze. His eyes were so tender, crying tears tender; they had made Sam want to fall apart and find healing in them. _“I knew something was going on, but I didn’t wanna—”_ he stopped himself, sighing. _“I’m so sorry.”_

Sam had cupped Bucky’s cheek, whispered _“hey”_ so Bucky could meet his gaze. _“None of this is your fault, Buck,”_ Sam had said, searched his eyes until he saw the doubt lessening. _“Everything’s been so hectic and I haven’t been taking care of myself like I know I’m supposed to.”_

_“Well that stops today,”_ Bucky had said, his voice as sharp as cotton candy again, but his eyes were stern. _“You gotta take car of yourself, sweetheart.”_ He had pressed a gentle kiss to the base of Sam’s hand, making his stomach flutter and causing the monitor to pick up on the increase of his heartbeat. None of that seemed to phase Bucky, his attention focused solely on Sam. _“Okay?”_

Sam had swallowed roughly, mouth dry from the realization that he’d agree to anything Bucky asked of him because he was in deep, totally smitten and he wondered how it had snuck up on him without him knowing. _“Okay,”_ he had finally said as he made a silent promise to himself.

After he was released from the hospital, Sam took a leave of absence from Avenging, took the time to focus on himself and his healing. Once he started therapy and medication, he felt like himself again, not that nervous ball of energy overextending itself. He slept through the night a little easier, still having the occasional nightmare (some traumas in his life will never let him rest), but not nearly as frequent. He returned to the VA as a volunteer, and would lend his expertise to the Avengers or S.H.I.E.L.D. when needed. He even started birdwatching again, a hobby from his childhood, and of course Bucky joked about it every chance he got, but he also kissed Sam every chance he got. 

Bucky loved Sam and his kisses so much, he had resigned from the Avengers, got on one knee and said, _“I’ve been fighting all my life. It’s all I’ve ever known, and for a long time I thought fighting, and violence, and war was all I’d ever be. Then you were selfless enough to help Steve find me, you risked your freedom and your life to give me options other than destruction, and, baby, I’m so grateful to you.”_ Sam had been in a mess of tears by then, he wanted to tell Bucky he’d risk it all again so he’d know he was so much more than what Hydra had destined for him. But he had stayed quiet, too chocked up by tears, anyways, and listened as Bucky continued. _“After a lifetime of fighting, I’m finally choosing peace, and you, Sam Wilson, are my peace. I wanna spend—”_ Sam had started nodding, fervently; he didn't need to be sold on a lifetime of peace with Bucky. _“Damn, Birdie, will you let me finish first?”_ Bucky had said through a watery laugh. _“I had this whole beautiful spiel ready, and you—”_ Sam had cut him off with a kiss. _“You better put that ring on before I say no,”_ he had whispered against Bucky’s lips, and Bucky listened.

Putting on one of Bucky’s t-shirts, Sam smiles softly to himself, looking down at the portrait from their wedding day, memories flashing before his eyes. Only three years into their lifetime of peace, and nearly each second has been amazing, so full of love, patience, and kindness. One of the best parts is seeing Bucky rediscover himself, finding who he is outside of what had been done to him, and Sam being able to love and support him through the process. Just as beautiful to witness is James Barnes-Wilson as a father. He’s so great with Riley and Ryanne; it just melts Sam’s heart. Like the way he gently wakes them with a soft “mornin’, sleepyhead, how’d you sleep?” and tucks them in at night with kisses and a soft “sweet dreams” (and Riley insists she’s way too old for this, even though she wakes up and goes sleeps with the biggest smile on her face.) Or the way he actively listens to their every word and every story, and he’s always expressive and responsive as they speak. Or the way he encourages them when homework gets too frustrating, or always reminding them how special and loved they are. It’s all really sweet, especially the way the girls have him wrapped around their little fingers. Bucky will do anything for their daughters, and will let them get away with about as much. Sam’s guilty of this, too, but they both knew they were in for a world of trouble when they first met Ryanne and Riley two years ago. 

Sam and Bucky had been volunteering at a group home when a social worker brought the girls in. The two had been in foster care before the snap, and after returning, Riley felt they were better off on their own. _“We don’t need your help, I can protect us,”_ Riley had said when Sam tried to step closer, more of a warning than anything, eyes way too intense for an eleven year old. Later, the social worker had informed them that her words were, indeed, a warning. Riley had used fiery fists to break into a grocery store, and was ready to use blasts of fire to defend herself and her sister from the officers who arrived on the scene, guns drawn in fright of their brown skin and powers. Thankfully, Ryanne was able to defuse the situation, using their telepathic link to calm Riley down, and a judge agreed to let Riley off with the promise of registering them at Xavier Institute, placing them in a home, and providing therapy. 

As Bucky and Sam continued volunteering at the group home, the two girls grew on them. Ryanne’s sweetness and kindness stuck to them like honey, and there was never a dull moment with the five year old, so talkative and dramatic, and she oozed creativity. Riley, so headstrong and determined, reminded Sam of his own Riley and Bucky of Steve, and her intelligence reminded them of Shuri. However, her dry humor and wit caught them by surprise, a side of herself she only showed to people she trusted. 

The more time they spent with the girls—whether it be playing monopoly, or Riley’s favorite, Just Dance (no matter what year) on the Wii, watching movies, or making desserts from scratch (guided by Bucky’s expertise)—the more Sam and Bucky fell in love with them. Not three months after they met, the husbands, who had been in the throes of the adoption process, pondered the idea of adopting the girls. It was Ryanne’s blunt, “so, when are you guys gonna adopt us?” that finally pushed them to get in contact with their caseworker. 

They’ve been a family ever since, and Sam couldn’t be any happier.Well...maybe he can, because the sight before him fills him with joy. Bucky gently holding Ryanne’s hand as they crack an egg into the mixing bowl with one hand, their brows knitted together and tongue barely peaking pass their lips in concentration, and Riley watches with intrigue. Really, it’s the cutest thing ever. Especially with Ryanne’s lime green apron an absolute mess, and pancake batter in places there shouldn’t be, including Riley’s freshly washed hair and Bucky’s beard. Sam tries to hold back a giggle, failing miserably. Bucky and the kids stop right in their tracks, there’s a too-long pause before Ryanne throws her arms up, knocking the big spoon out the mixing bowl and covering Bucky in flour from head to chest. 

“Happy Father’s Day!” she shouts, fingers spread wide and wiggling. Riley and Sam burst into laughter, and Ryanne looks around confused until she turns to find her father looking like Casper. She laughs into her hands. “Sorry, daddy.” 

“It’s okay, baby,” Bucky assures her, easily picking her up off of her step stool before sprinkling kisses over her face, getting some of his mess on her and she giggles more. 

“Keep it up, Ry, and we won’t have anymore ingredients to make pancakes,” Riley says before smiling over at Sam who makes his way over to them. “Happy Father’s Day, dad.”

“Thank you, Riley,” he says as he hugs her then kisses her forehead. “And thank you, lil bit,” he says to Ryanne, wipes at some of the flour Bucky got on her face with his hand before leaning in to kiss her cheek.

She wraps her arms around his neck, returning the kiss. “You’re welcome, daddy.”

Bucky’s next in line for his morning kiss, but he has too much mess on his face. Shaking his head with a soft chuckle, Sam wets a paper towel, then gently takes a hold of his chin and wipes at the flour and batter. “There,” he smiles then presses his lips to the spot on his chin he just wiped clean, “good as new.”

Bucky pulls Sam into his side, and Sam doesn’t thinks the butterflies in his stomach will ever get over Bucky hugging him. “Thanks, love,” he says, kissing the corner of his mouth. “We didn’t wake you, did we?” 

“Sorta,” he answers with a shrug, “but it’s fine. I’d rather be making breakfast with my three favorite people than be sleeping.”

Bucky’s eyes soften, get all dreamy-like. “Aw, Sammy, that’s so sweet of you to say.” He draws Sam closer, pressing his lips to his temple. “And here I thought Earth, Wind & Fire were your three favorite people.”

Sam chortles as he pushes away from Bucky. “Real funny, Barnes.”

“Who’s Earth, Fire, Wind?” Ryanne asks, confusion deepening her eyebrows. 

“You know, Ry, the one that sings that one song,” Riley answers then clears her throat to sing high-pitched and off key, “the reasons, the reasons that we feel, the reasons that we won’t disappear.”

“Oh, those people!”

Sam and Bucky laugh. “I see we need to be listening to them more often since you,” he tickles Ryanne, “don’t know who they are, and you,” he tickles Riley, “don’t know the words.”

“Sorry that I can’t tell what that man says with his voice all high like that,” Riley says through her laughter. 

“You guys have done it, now,” Bucky says, shaking his head as he places Ryanne on the island. “He’s gonna be playing Earth, Wind & Fire all week.”

They all audibly groan and Sam’s eyes widen in shock. “What we _not_ gon’ do is disrespect Earth, Wind & Fire.”

“Or else what?” Riley challenges. 

Sam meets her daring eyes, raises his brows, eyes the mixing bowl then returns her stare. She waivers seconds later. “Yeah, you don’t want these problems!” Sam grabs her into a playful headlock, goes to tussle her hair, and sees the batter still there. “Lemme get this stuff outta your hair before it dries up,” he mumbles, letting Riley go and wetting a dish towel before wiping the batter from her hair. “How in the world did y’all get batter everywhere when you haven’t even finished making it?”

“Because Ryanne was mixing it too hard and it splattered everywhere, then she knocked over whatever was left.”

The younger sister peers around Bucky who’s cleaning her off, and Sam chuckles to himself because he’s definitely seen a paper towel commercial like this. “It was an accident,” she explains to Sam then cuts her eyes at her older sister, whispers, “snitches get stitches.”

Bucky and Sam share a look, trying so hard not to laugh. “Be nice to your sister, Ry Ry,” Bucky tells her, and she quickly mumbles a “sorry” to Riley, proving to Sam that Bucky’s the Ryanne Whisperer. 

“She’s taunting me!” Ryanne exclaims, pointing at Riley who widens her eyes at getting caught. “She’s taunting me in my head!”

Again, Sam tries hard not to laugh, thinking about all the ways he could’ve annoyed his siblings if he had telepathic abilities. “Riley.” He absolutely fails at his stern dad voice, and she notices it too, a smirk playing on her lips. “Apologize, please.”

She huffs. “Sorry.”

Bucky glances over at Sam with a smile, eyes soft and bright. “What are we gonna do with these two?”

“Love us forever and ever?” Ryanne offers with the cutest shrug of her shoulders. 

Bucky and Sam’s eyes get all soft and their hearts go all gooey. Sam, so full of love, wraps his right arm around Bucky and Ryanne, pulls Riley in with his left, and hugs them tight. “Of course we will, baby,” he says when they pull apart and Ryanne beams. 

“Dad, are you crying?” Riley asks.

“Aw, sweetheart,” Bucky coos, his own eyes watering, because he knows exactly how his husband feels. He takes Sam’s face into his hands to wipe away the tears with the pads of his thumb. 

“What’s wrong, daddy?”

“Nothing, lil bit,” he assures her, kissing her forehead. “I’m just the luckiest dad in the world to have you two as my daughters.” He hugs Riley into him again, also giving her a forehead kiss. 

“Dang it, dad, now you’re about to make me cry,” Riley says, dabbing at her bottom eyelid before any tears can spill over.

“Okay, no, we’re _not_ about to start sobbing,” Bucky says, wiping at the corner of his eyes. 

“Plus I’m starving,” Ryanne adds. “Can we finally finish making breakfast so I can eat?”

“Yes ma’am,” Sam answers with a chuckle before helping her off the island and onto her step stool. “What do you need us to do, chef Ryanne?”

“Actually, dad,” Riley starts, “I’m the chef today and _you guys_ are my sous chefs.”

“Oh,” he says with a tilt of his head and raised eyebrows. “My mistake, chef Riley. What do _you_ need us to do?”

Riley has Sam and Ryanne finish up the pancakes, while her and Bucky make eggs and turkey bacon, and cut up some fruit. Sam watches with a smile as Bucky teaches Riley a few knife tricks and tips on how to make the plate all pretty and fancy like the ones on the cooking shows. Ever since Riley expressed interest in the culinary arts, Bucky has been teaching her everything he’s learned while in culinary school. He’s currently taking a workshop on molecular gastronomy and the two of them have been geeking out about that and creating huge messes in the kitchen since he started the workshop. It’s really adorable to see them share a passion, and Sam gets great food out of it too, so of course that’s an added bonus.

After breakfast, Sam and Bucky open their cards, and the sweet words written by Riley and the darling drawings by Ryanne bring them to tears. Then Bucky surprises Sam with a trip to the bird sanctuary he’s been dying to go to, but always putting off because he never has enough time, and Sam starts crying again. He’s so full of love and joy, and he can’t believe this is his life now. He had lost so much, nearly lost his own life, and now he has gained so much. So much laughter, so many smiles, so much happiness, so many moments like this. Ryanne and Riley giggling as they feed birds, his arms around Bucky’s waist as they watch them. The sun is creeping towards the horizon, there’s a gentle breeze, and birds chirping all around them, and Sam hopes he can hold on to this moment forever. 

In the meantime, he’ll hold on to Bucky tighter; nuzzle his nose into the crook of his neck, breathe him in deep, skin smelling like home (and when he kisses him there it tastes like it, too); press his lips to his shoulder, rest his chin there; memorize the small, contented sigh Bucky lets out, like being in Sam’s arms is the most comfortable place in the world; watch the girls coo at and gently pet the two yellow-romped warblers that have taken to them, and hopefully, using all five of his senses will help cement this moment into his memory.

“Thank you again,” he says softly before placing a gentle kiss on his husband’s cheek. 

Bucky turns his head to the side to smile at him. “Your welcome again.” 

Sam pinches his side, making Bucky laugh as he turns his head back around, and Sam settles his chin back against the top of Bucky’s shoulder. Ryanne looks like she’s holding a full conversation with the little yellow bird, and Sam wouldn’t be surprised if she actually is. “You gave me this day, something I’ll cherish for the rest of my life, and I forgot to get you a present.” Sam sighs before hiding his face in the crook of Bucky’s neck. “I’m a terrible husband.”

“‘Course you’re not,” he counters, lifting his metal arm to cup the back of Sam’s head. His thumb strokes along the nape of his neck, sending a shiver down Sam’s spine. Bucky smiles and kisses Sam’s temple before placing his arms on top of Sam’s, wrapping them tighter around him, and leaning deeper into their embrace with an even deeper sigh. “Besides,” he says, lulls his head back against Sam’s shoulder, eyes fluttering close, relaxed and loose with bliss, “I have everything I want right here.”

As impossible as it seems with their bodies already pressed together so closely, Sam holds Bucky closer, and hopefully it’ll sooth his wildly beating heart and the tremble of his bones. He’s all Bucky wants. This life, this family, they’ve built together, is all Bucky wants, and his body hums with tenderness, adoration and love penetrating his soul. “I love you so much,” Sam mutters while pressing kisses along his jaw. “Love you so, so, so much,” he says right into his ear, brushing kisses there as well.

Bucky moans as his eyes flutter open, and he turns his head to look Sam in the eye. “I love _you_ so, so, so much.” He pecks his lips, once, twice, and when he goes for a third time, Sam deepens the kiss, turns it warm and slow, hungry and sweet.

“Ewww,” the girls shout, loud and disgusted and the couple break apart in laughter. 

“If you’re done scarring us and these innocent birds,” Riley starts before her disgust gives way to a sneaky grin, “we’d like to make a proposition…”

The girls convince Bucky to let them get a pet bird. Of course he couldn’t say no to the pleading twinkle in their eyes, Sam included. So after they leave the bird sanctuary and peruse the pet store, they choose a blue macaw that speaks to Ryanne, literally. Sam spends the rest of the evening bonding with Ryanne over their shared powers, and conversing with together with their new pet Blue Ivy.

Later that night, when the kids have long been asleep, Sam surprises Bucky with the white kitten he had been eyeing at the pet store. He’s not sure how Sam snuck the thing out, and he doesn’t ask, just hold out his arms for her to jump into. The kitty that Bucky names Alpine cuddles into his arms as Sam leans above her to give Bucky a sweet kiss. “Happy Father’s Day, baby,” Sam mumbles against his lips.

“Mm, you too, sugar.” Bucky gives him a soft peck, one of thanks and appreciation, before pressing their foreheads together and nuzzling their noses. “I love you.”

“Love you more.”

**Author's Note:**

> this story took a life of its own, way more than i expected it to lol. i just wanted to give a bit of backstory and then i got the grand idea to give their daughters superpowers. anyways, thanks for reading!


End file.
